ALIAGATOR GAR

The Alligator Gar is the largest gar species and one of the biggest freshwater fish in North America. It can grow over 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds, with a gator-like head and double rows of razor-sharp teeth. This absolute unit gets its name for a reason — its jaw and power are no joke.

Native to the southeastern U.S., especially around the Mississippi River system, Texas, and parts of the Gulf Coast, alligator gars prefer slow-moving rivers, oxbow lakes, bayous, and backwaters. While they look intimidating, they’re not dangerous to humans unless provoked — but they are ferocious ambush predators, eating anything from fish to birds and even small mammals.

These monsters have been around since the Cretaceous period, making them true living fossils. They’re armored, air-breathing, and apex predators of their territory.

Record Size: 330lbs

Where to Find Them: Deep pools of slow rivers, murky oxbows, weedy bayous, large lakes, and even brackish water.

Sweet & Sour Gar Balls - Andrew Zimmern 

1. Alligator gar can live over 50 years in the wild.
   
   

2. They can breathe air using a modified swim bladder — often surface-gulping in still water.
   
   

3. Their scales are so hard they’ve been used to make jewelry and knife blades.